Have you ever encountered anti-Catholicism? I don't mean people who in their innocent ignorance of the Catholic faith say something false. I mean a person who holds true hatred for the Catholic faith and Church. A person who deliberately and boldly spreads lies about the Catholic faith. If you've ever heard of Loraine Boettner you've met such a person. The now deceased Mr. Boettner is the author of a book called "Roman Catholicism". In this book Mr. Boettner boldly lies, falsifies documents and does his best to slander the Catholic Church, the Catholic faith and groups of Catholic people. It is my intention to expose Mr. Boettner's lies one by one, from cover to cover of his book. In the second chapter of Boettner's book "Roman Catholicism", entitled "The Church", Mr. Boettner claims he is quoting the Catholic document "Syllabus of Errors". In fact, Mr. Boettner is falsifying documents to fit his warped views of the Catholic faith and spread his anti-Catholic propaganda. Below I will directly quote Boettner's book quotes, then quote the actual document clearly showing what Boettner has added and excluded to fit his agenda. There is not a more fitting term for what he's done than to say 'it's all a bold faced lie', and I will prove this now.
Boettner's quotes of the Syllabus of Errors verses the actual quotes of the Syllabus of Errors.
Boettner's #15: "No man is free to embrace and profess that religion which he believes to be true, guided by the light of reason."
Syllabus #15 actually says: Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true. -- Allocution "Maxima quidem," June 9, 1862; Damnatio "Multiplices inter," June 10, 1851.
Boettner's #17: "The eternal salvation of any out of the true church of Christ is not even to be hoped for."
Syllabus #17 actually says: Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ. -- Encyclical "Quanto conficiamur," Aug. 10, 1863, etc.
Boettner's #18: "Protestantism is not another and diversified form of the one true Christian religion in which it is possible to please God equally as in the Catholic Church."
Syllabus #18 actually says: Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian religion, in which form it is given to please God equally as in the Catholic Church. -- Encyclical "Noscitis," Dec. 8, 1849.
Boettner's #21: "The Church has power to define dogmatically the religion of the Catholic Church to be the only true religion."
Syllabus #21 actually says: The Church has not the power of defining dogmatically that the religion of the Catholic Church is the only true religion. -- Damnatio "Multiplices inter," June 10, 1851.
Boettner's #24: "The Church has the power of employing force and (of exercising) direct and indirect temporal power."
Syllabus #24 actually says: The Church has not the power of using force, nor has she any temporal power, direct or indirect. -- Apostolic Letter "Ad Apostolicae," Aug. 22, 1851.
Boettner's #37: "No national Church can be instituted in a state of division and separation from the authority of the Roman Pontiff."
Syllabus #37 actually says: National churches, withdrawn from the authority of the Roman pontiff and altogether separated, can be established. -- Allocution "Multis gravibusque," Dec. 17, 1860.
Boettner's #42: "In legal conflict between Powers (Civil and Ecclesiastical) the Ecclesiastical Law prevails."
Syllabus #42 actually says: In the case of conflicting laws enacted by the two powers, the civil law prevails. -- Ibid.
Boettner's #45: "The direction of Public Schools in which the youth of Christian states are brought up... neither can nor ought to be assumed by the Civil Authority alone."
Syllabus #45 actually says: The entire government of public schools in which the youth- of a Christian State is educated, except (to a certain extent) in the case of episcopal seminaries, may and ought to appertain to the civil power, and belong to it so far that no other authority whatsoever shall be recognized as having any right to interfere in the discipline of the schools, the arrangement of the studies, the conferring of degrees, in the choice or approval of the teachers. -- Allocutions "Quibus luctuosissimis," Sept. 5, 1851, and "In consistoriali," Nov. 1, 1850.
Boettner's #48: "Catholics cannot approve of a system of education for youth apart from the Catholic faith, and disjoined from the authority of the Church."
Syllabus #48 actually says: Catholics may approve of the system of educating youth unconnected with Catholic faith and the power of the Church, and which regards the knowledge of merely natural things, and only, or at least primarily, the ends of earthly social life. -- Ibid.
Boettner's #54: "Kings and Princes [including, of course, Presidents, Prime Ministers, etc.] are not only not exempt from the jurisdiction of the Church, but are subordinate to the Church in litigated questions of jurisdiction."
Syllabus #54 actually says: Kings and princes are not only exempt from the jurisdiction of the Church, but are superior to the Church in deciding questions of jurisdiction. -- Damnatio "Multiplices inter," June 10, 1851.
Boettner's #55: "The Church ought to be in union with the State, and the State with the Church."
Syllabus #55 actually says: The Church ought to be separated from the State, and the State from the Church. -- Allocution "Acerbissimum," Sept. 27, 1852.
Boettner's #57: "Philosophical principles, moral science, and civil laws may and must be made to bend to Divine and Ecclesiastical authority."
Syllabus #57 actually says: The science of philosophical things and morals and also civil laws may and ought to keep aloof from divine and ecclesiastical authority. -- Ibid.
Boettner's #63: "Subjects may not refuse obedience to legitimate princes, much less rise in insurrection against them."
Syllabus #63 actually says: It is lawful to refuse obedience to legitimate princes, and even to rebel against them. -- Encyclical "Qui pluribus," Nov. 9, 1864; Allocution "Quibusque vestrum," Oct. 4, 1847; "Noscitis et Nobiscum," Dec. 8, 1849; Apostolic Letter "Cum Catholica."
Boettner's #67: "The marriage tie is indissoluble by the law of nature; divorce, properly so called, cannot in any case be pronounced by the civil authority."
Boettner's quotes of the Syllabus of Errors verses the actual quotes of the Syllabus of Errors.
Boettner's #15: "No man is free to embrace and profess that religion which he believes to be true, guided by the light of reason."
Syllabus #15 actually says: Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true. -- Allocution "Maxima quidem," June 9, 1862; Damnatio "Multiplices inter," June 10, 1851.
Boettner's #17: "The eternal salvation of any out of the true church of Christ is not even to be hoped for."
Syllabus #17 actually says: Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ. -- Encyclical "Quanto conficiamur," Aug. 10, 1863, etc.
Boettner's #18: "Protestantism is not another and diversified form of the one true Christian religion in which it is possible to please God equally as in the Catholic Church."
Syllabus #18 actually says: Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian religion, in which form it is given to please God equally as in the Catholic Church. -- Encyclical "Noscitis," Dec. 8, 1849.
Boettner's #21: "The Church has power to define dogmatically the religion of the Catholic Church to be the only true religion."
Syllabus #21 actually says: The Church has not the power of defining dogmatically that the religion of the Catholic Church is the only true religion. -- Damnatio "Multiplices inter," June 10, 1851.
Boettner's #24: "The Church has the power of employing force and (of exercising) direct and indirect temporal power."
Syllabus #24 actually says: The Church has not the power of using force, nor has she any temporal power, direct or indirect. -- Apostolic Letter "Ad Apostolicae," Aug. 22, 1851.
Boettner's #37: "No national Church can be instituted in a state of division and separation from the authority of the Roman Pontiff."
Syllabus #37 actually says: National churches, withdrawn from the authority of the Roman pontiff and altogether separated, can be established. -- Allocution "Multis gravibusque," Dec. 17, 1860.
Boettner's #42: "In legal conflict between Powers (Civil and Ecclesiastical) the Ecclesiastical Law prevails."
Syllabus #42 actually says: In the case of conflicting laws enacted by the two powers, the civil law prevails. -- Ibid.
Boettner's #45: "The direction of Public Schools in which the youth of Christian states are brought up... neither can nor ought to be assumed by the Civil Authority alone."
Syllabus #45 actually says: The entire government of public schools in which the youth- of a Christian State is educated, except (to a certain extent) in the case of episcopal seminaries, may and ought to appertain to the civil power, and belong to it so far that no other authority whatsoever shall be recognized as having any right to interfere in the discipline of the schools, the arrangement of the studies, the conferring of degrees, in the choice or approval of the teachers. -- Allocutions "Quibus luctuosissimis," Sept. 5, 1851, and "In consistoriali," Nov. 1, 1850.
Boettner's #48: "Catholics cannot approve of a system of education for youth apart from the Catholic faith, and disjoined from the authority of the Church."
Syllabus #48 actually says: Catholics may approve of the system of educating youth unconnected with Catholic faith and the power of the Church, and which regards the knowledge of merely natural things, and only, or at least primarily, the ends of earthly social life. -- Ibid.
Boettner's #54: "Kings and Princes [including, of course, Presidents, Prime Ministers, etc.] are not only not exempt from the jurisdiction of the Church, but are subordinate to the Church in litigated questions of jurisdiction."
Syllabus #54 actually says: Kings and princes are not only exempt from the jurisdiction of the Church, but are superior to the Church in deciding questions of jurisdiction. -- Damnatio "Multiplices inter," June 10, 1851.
Boettner's #55: "The Church ought to be in union with the State, and the State with the Church."
Syllabus #55 actually says: The Church ought to be separated from the State, and the State from the Church. -- Allocution "Acerbissimum," Sept. 27, 1852.
Boettner's #57: "Philosophical principles, moral science, and civil laws may and must be made to bend to Divine and Ecclesiastical authority."
Syllabus #57 actually says: The science of philosophical things and morals and also civil laws may and ought to keep aloof from divine and ecclesiastical authority. -- Ibid.
Boettner's #63: "Subjects may not refuse obedience to legitimate princes, much less rise in insurrection against them."
Syllabus #63 actually says: It is lawful to refuse obedience to legitimate princes, and even to rebel against them. -- Encyclical "Qui pluribus," Nov. 9, 1864; Allocution "Quibusque vestrum," Oct. 4, 1847; "Noscitis et Nobiscum," Dec. 8, 1849; Apostolic Letter "Cum Catholica."
Boettner's #67: "The marriage tie is indissoluble by the law of nature; divorce, properly so called, cannot in any case be pronounced by the civil authority."
Syllabus #67 actually says: By the law of nature, the marriage tie is not indissoluble, and in many cases divorce properly so called may be decreed by the civil authority. -- Ibid.; Allocution "Acerbissimum," Sept. 27, 1852.
Boettner's #73: "Marriage among Christians cannot be constituted by any civil contract; the marriage-contract among Christians must always be a sacrament; and the contract is null if the sacrament does not exist."
Syllabus #73 actually says: In force of a merely civil contract there may exist between Christians a real marriage, and it is false to say either that the marriage contract between Christians is always a sacrament, or that there is no contract if the sacrament be excluded. -- Ibid.; Letter to the King of Sardinia, Sept. 9, 1852; Allocutions "Acerbissimum," Sept. 27, 1852, "Multis gravibusque," Dec. 17, 1860.
Boettner's #77: "It is necessary even in the present day that the Catholic religion shall be held as the only religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other forms of worship."
Syllabus #77 actually says: In the present day it is no longer expedient that the Catholic religion should be held as the only religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other forms of worship. -- Allocution "Nemo vestrum," July 26, 1855.
Boettner's #78: "Whence it has been unwisely provided by law, in some countries called Catholic, that persons coming to reside therein shall enjoy the free exercise of their religion."
Syllabus #78 actually says: Hence it has been wisely decided by law, in some Catholic countries, that persons coming to reside therein shall enjoy the public exercise of their own peculiar worship. -- Allocution "Acerbissimum," Sept. 27, 1852.
Boettner's #80: "The Roman Pontiff cannot and ought not to reconcile himself to, or agree with, Progress, Liberalism, and Modern Civilization."
Syllabus #80 actually says: The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization.- -Allocution "Jamdudum cernimus," March 18, 1861.
This concludes Mr. Boettner's so called "quotes" of the Catholic document entitled "Syllabus of Errors". Clearly it can be seen the deliberate altering of what is actually stated to what Mr. Boettner wishes his readers to believe about the Catholic Church and it's faith. In his blind desire to slander the Catholic Church and spread his propaganda Mr. Boettner proves he is not beneath boldly lying or falsifying documents to suite his slanderous needs. These lies (and his others) have spread for years poisoning people to the truth of the Catholic Church. He has deliberately taught erroneous beliefs and teachings to further his hatred of all things Catholic. He succeeds only if no one exposes him and his lies. I don't wish to let that happen anymore.
Boettner's #73: "Marriage among Christians cannot be constituted by any civil contract; the marriage-contract among Christians must always be a sacrament; and the contract is null if the sacrament does not exist."
Syllabus #73 actually says: In force of a merely civil contract there may exist between Christians a real marriage, and it is false to say either that the marriage contract between Christians is always a sacrament, or that there is no contract if the sacrament be excluded. -- Ibid.; Letter to the King of Sardinia, Sept. 9, 1852; Allocutions "Acerbissimum," Sept. 27, 1852, "Multis gravibusque," Dec. 17, 1860.
Boettner's #77: "It is necessary even in the present day that the Catholic religion shall be held as the only religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other forms of worship."
Syllabus #77 actually says: In the present day it is no longer expedient that the Catholic religion should be held as the only religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other forms of worship. -- Allocution "Nemo vestrum," July 26, 1855.
Boettner's #78: "Whence it has been unwisely provided by law, in some countries called Catholic, that persons coming to reside therein shall enjoy the free exercise of their religion."
Syllabus #78 actually says: Hence it has been wisely decided by law, in some Catholic countries, that persons coming to reside therein shall enjoy the public exercise of their own peculiar worship. -- Allocution "Acerbissimum," Sept. 27, 1852.
Boettner's #80: "The Roman Pontiff cannot and ought not to reconcile himself to, or agree with, Progress, Liberalism, and Modern Civilization."
Syllabus #80 actually says: The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization.- -Allocution "Jamdudum cernimus," March 18, 1861.
This concludes Mr. Boettner's so called "quotes" of the Catholic document entitled "Syllabus of Errors". Clearly it can be seen the deliberate altering of what is actually stated to what Mr. Boettner wishes his readers to believe about the Catholic Church and it's faith. In his blind desire to slander the Catholic Church and spread his propaganda Mr. Boettner proves he is not beneath boldly lying or falsifying documents to suite his slanderous needs. These lies (and his others) have spread for years poisoning people to the truth of the Catholic Church. He has deliberately taught erroneous beliefs and teachings to further his hatred of all things Catholic. He succeeds only if no one exposes him and his lies. I don't wish to let that happen anymore.
Dear Julie,
ReplyDeleteI just read your comparison of the author's quotes of the syllabus of Errors and what you say are the actual verses.
Your quotations are correct. But you are reading that document wrong. When reading the Syllabus of Errors, you have to keep in mind that Pius IX was documenting the things that he deemed wrong at that time. So the top of the document could basically say, " It is an error that..." (insert verse here).
So the Authors translations are not nearly as incorrect and manipulated as you claim. The author is attaching the negative that the pope implied to the idea.